Friday, October 18, 2013

Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror News! Plus Horror Movie Trivia, Ninja News, and Wednesday’s Response

Today I am visiting the lovely Sia McKye! She had some really great questions about CassaStorm, my music, and everything in between. Let me tell you, when Sia emailed me her private thoughts on CassaStorm, it was probably the most awesome thing anyone has ever said about my writing. So be sure to visit Sia!

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror News!

From JoBlo - another clip from Thor: The Dark World as Jane and Thor meet again. (And she smacks the crap out of him!)




White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, an Agent Pendergast story, comes out November 12!


From Blastr - Guillermo del Toro wants to make a new film adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel The Witches. Right now the fate of the project rests in Warner Bros. hands.


Wired featured some of the most amazing Lego creations ever built, including this old haunted house:



Looking for the best haunted house for your Halloween scares? Visit Haunt World for the one nearest you. They also list trails and hayrides.


Ninja News

Sean MacLachlan at Civil War Horror is looking for blogging advice as he contemplates the new direction in his writing career and the future of his two blogs.

Candilynn Fite had this bit of news - SCBWI announced the SPARK award for non-traditionally published children's books. You can read the rules HERE.

Thanks to everyone who has purchased and reviewed CassaStorm! I’ll take reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble – I’m not picky!

CassaStorm is now on Goodreads’ Best Space Opera list! (CassaStar and CassaFire are #3 and 4.) If you enjoyed it and have time to vote for CassaStorm, I would appreciate it!



Wednesday’s Response

There were some great comments on Wednesday’s post regarding blog content and pageviews. Overall, most of you thought blogging was about community and comments more important than pageviews.

A couple comments that stood out:

From Brandon and Bryan at A Beer for the Shower:
… we had our Amanda Bynes post reach 180,000+ views. Did it increase our regular readers, or increase our book sales, etc? Not in the slightest. It was just a bunch of people who got a quick laugh and left. We don't really care about that, so going viral only counts if those people stick around. If they don't, then it's just empty calories that really aren't even worth bragging about.

From Holly at I Am HR Sinclair:
Blog views are interesting as well as searches, but comments are the only way to really know if what you said of value to anyone. And I think we all want to know we have some to say that someone else liked.

From Keith at Musings of an Unapologetic Dreamer:
Blogging really is about community and friends. It's a family-type relationship in many ways isn't it?

From Julie Dao at Silver Linings:
The best blogs, for me, are the ones with humor and honesty. And those are usually the ones with the highest number of followers and comments!


Horror Movie Taglines Trivia

Guess the movies from these poster taglines:

1 - Ding dong. You're dead. 1986

2 - Trapped in time. Surrounded by evil. Low on gas. 1992

3 - Man is the warmest place to hide. 1992

4 - The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is…they're dead. 1986

5 - The night HE came home. 1978

6 - Herbert West has a very good head on his shoulders...and another one in a dish on his desk. 1985

Are you excited about Thor? Amazed by what people can do with Legos? Little help for CassaStorm? (It would make Mini-Alex happy! He might even make an appearance next week.) Any other thoughts on blogging? Know any of the movies? And who is ready for a hayride…?

Don’t forget to visit Sia McKye!

127 comments:

Tonja Drecker said...

Whoa - I'm at the top of the comments two days in a row? Amazing!
Loved the smack scene. Gosh I have to go see that!
And that lego house is amazing. *hehehe* I'll show it to my kids. It'll keep them busy for weeks ;)

Anonymous said...

Will certainly visit Sia.

I still think that comments and the number of them all depends on if the comments are heartfelt, I may only get a few but I know they are genuine.
Enjoy your week-end. see you at Sia.
Yvonne.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great interview with Sia.

That was a really great discussion on Wednesday. Interesting to see what everyone thought.

Stephanie Faris said...

I had to go check out that Lego house. They don't look like Legos...but they have a lot of variety now! Those were some cool Lego designs, though!

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Those are some amazing Legos! That haunted house looks nothing like it's made from blocks.

Laura S. said...

I love Lego! When I was a kid I so wanted to be a Lego engineer. It must be the best job ever, building with Legos all day! I'm amazed by what those people can do with those bricks.

Happy reading and writing! from Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines

Jackie said...

I can't wait to watch the new Thor movie!
I love Lego's and think it's so cool the things my sons come up with... but stepping on one sure hurts something fierce! LOL
On my way to vote for the Cassa's! :)

Mark Koopmans said...

Lego Rocks, man!

(I'm *still* playing with the stuff!!)

Heading to Sia before my ManCard is voided :)

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Alex I saw #4 because I vividly remember the quote but I can't remember the name! Something to do with brain-eating slugs?

Sandra Ulbrich Almazan said...

There's a Legoland not too far from me, so I take my son there occasionally. It is amazing what people can make with Legos these days, especially when I have enough problems following the directions in the kits.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

T, two in a row - you're good! And your kids will want more Legos I'm sure.

Stephanie, you're right that some don't even resemble a Lego block.

Laura Marcella - professional Lego engineer!

Jackie, thanks!

Mark, you have kids - you have an excuse!

Keith - yes, you are on the right track!

Sandra, that would be really cool.

ediFanoB said...

I played with LEGO in my childhood. I loved to create planes and ships.
But I never achived somethign like you can see when you follow these links:

Battleship Yamato, aircraft carrier 1, aircraft carrier 2, 40 more designs

Melissa said...

Wow, lots of interesting news.

I'm amazed at what people can do with Legos, but I still think they're way overpriced. :P

I'm ready for a hayride!!! :D
(Just not a scary one. LOL)

Brian Miller said...

oh geez...that haunted house is awesome! gotta show that to my boys tonight....and def cant wait to read the pendergrast book...just finished the Helen series...

Luanne G. Smith said...

I am amazed at what people can do with legos!! That is cool. And I shall hop over and check out your interview at Sia's. :))

Unknown said...

Can't wait for Thor!
Legos are the #1 reason I'm afraid to go in to my sons room barefoot!
Especially at night!

mshatch said...

That is one amazing Lego house! As for the trivia, I only know #5 Halloween. which I saw when it came out (yup, I'm that old!) and it scared the pants off me!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Edi, I didn't either!

Melissa, some of those kits are over a hundred dollars!

Brian, you're a Pendergast fan? Awesome!

David, I fell your pain...

Marcy, correct - and that makes two of us old people.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Those Lego projects were amazing, especially the two haunted houses.

I think the remake of King's CARRIE comes out this weekend. Not sure if I want to see it....

I don't know any of those tag lines but I'm sure I'll remember them - and groan - when you reveal the answers. :)

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Yes! Reviews! I'll get right on it. And now, off to see Sia...

Yolanda Renée said...

I remember Legos, and stepping on them, and sucking them up in the vacuum. I'm so glad the boys don't play with them anymore.

That said, wow! Truly amazing what they can do with them!

Great discussion about comments and visits.

Huntress said...

Visiting the lovely Sia as soon as I exit your blog.
*Really* enjoy Sean's writing. Could it be because he sometimes writes about Missouri? Nah.
Voting on Goodreads asap.
Love Thor and all the characters of the Marvel franchise.

Unknown said...

Woah, that lego house is beyond incredible! I would have never known. I wish every time my 4 year old nephew drags me to look at his latest lego creation that it is something like that, lol.

And I'm pretty sure #2 is Army of Darkness and #4 is Night of the Creeps! They scared the bejesus out of me as a kid! I'm not positive on the others. I think one of them is The Thing, but that can't be right since it's not the same year....this makes me frustrated considering I'm such a horror movie buff, lol.

Unknown said...

Oh and btw, I LOVE Jane and Thor! Can't wait!

Julie Dao said...

Dude, I love that you share my admiration of all things Pendergast. I'm so behind on these books, though! I think the last one I read was the one where they were on that cruise ship and there was a cursed idol of some kind??? That was years ago!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Madeline, I know I don't want to see it.

Cathy, thanks!

Carol, he's just a good writer!

Clarissa, you got two! And it may be a while before your nephew shows you something like that.

Julie, I lost track a bit while he was searching for his wife. This one is a stand alone, which is good.

Heather M. Gardner said...

Morning Alex! Happy Friday!

Thor 2 is the one I am waiting for! I need some hero Thor and some evil Loki in my life!

I should really take the kid on a haunted hayride and scare the candy corn out of him. That would be so fun. :)

1. ?
2. Army of Darkness
3. ?
4. The thing?
5. Halloween?
6.

Darn. Bad this week. I guess I don't watch as many horror movies as I think I do. :)

Have a great weekend, Alex!
HMG

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Just placed my votes (for your books, that is).
#2 Back to the Future (the original)

Happy Friday, Alex.
xoRobyn

Tyrean Martinson said...

I'm totally excited about Thor - Go Jane! :)
I'm also really excited about Ender's Game (even though I know they changed it, it's probably going to be better for screen the way it looks from the previews), and my whole family is looking forward to Catching Fire next month.

Go reviews!!!

PK HREZO said...

Sia is super fab! I'll be heading over to check it out. And very cool news about SCBWI. It's about time.
Dont know any of the trivia answers but #2 and 4 are hilarious.
Wow to that Lego haunted house! How do I get that job of building masterpieces with Legos???

Sean McLachlan said...

Those Lego constructions are amazing! I'll show them to my kid, he'll be inspired.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I am excited about Thor and the Prendergast novel. I don't do scary hayrides or haunted houses. I'm chicken enough without trying to scare myself on purpose.

Anonymous said...

I'm super excited about Thor. It comes out around my birthday so I'm considering it a present from Marvel. ;)

ilima said...

Love that clip. We actually watched Thor again last night. I'm excited for this next one.

Unknown said...

Hey, thanks for helping spread the word on the SPARK award. I think it's fabulous!

I love the Lego haunted house. Headed over to see what sort haunts are located in my area. Thanks for the link.

Have a super weekend! :D

StratPlayerCJF said...

...and back fro Sia's -- great interview!

And what can be built with Legos is amazing, but what is particularly entertaining is the debate that can arise when one asks if the plural should be "Legos" ("Legoes"?) or "Lego". :)

And guesses:

1. No clue... "Friday the 13th part 27 -- Jason joins Avon" maybe?
2. Oh yeah -- "Army of Darkness" I love Ash and the original Evil Dead series.
3. Ummm. I know this.... Dang. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Or "The Thing" I think.
4. No idea...
5. One of the Halloweens. I think maybe the original?
6. The name gives it away -- "Reanimator"

Al Penwasser said...

I want to see Thor, but...Natalie Portman????? In the name of all that's holy.

Roland D. Yeomans said...

Thanks for the new THOR clip. Always dozens of great things on your posts. Congrats on the high listings for your books! :-)

Shah Wharton said...

It's good to know people admire community more than a viral post or two. Especially as I can't imagine going viral ever! :)

And yeeeesss! Can't wait for Thor, love haunted anything and wow! That was really Lego?

X

http://iurl.no/gyy54

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Congratulations on being a best space opera writer! I didn't know that about Guillermo. Is "The Witches" a good read? I haven't seen that particular book. It must be if Guillermo is thinking of turning it into a movie. I hope it happens!

Leovi said...

Yes, exquisite haunted house, I like!

Elsie Amata said...

You threw me with every movie quote. I can't even get one right. *hanging head in shame*

That Lego haunted house is outstanding work! I can only imagine how much time it took to complete.

River Fairchild said...

Tell Mini-Alex he has my vote for Best Space Opera! Congrats!
That Lego haunted house is incredible.
There's another Thor? I'm a bit behind. I just started watching Battlestar Galactica. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Heather, sounds fun to me! And you got those three - not bad.

Thanks Robyn!

Tyrean, I think the film will be good.

PK, wouldn't that be an awesome job?

Sean, or depressed!

Patricia, that's a cool birthday present.

Candilynn, thanks for posting about it.

Chris, maybe there isn't a plural? And you got four!

Al, kind of her role now...

Michael, no idea - I actually don't care for the author.

Elsie, that's all right.

River, I will tell him!

Bevimus said...

I can't believe that house is made of legos! That blows my mind! I'm heading over to Sia's now.

Empty Nest Insider said...

That is an amazing house! Looking forward to seeing you over at Sia's!

Julie

Laura Clipson said...

To answer your question on my blog, Hull is a city and they have a fair at the same time every year :)

That lego haunted house is amazing! I haven't seen the first Thor film yet, it's on my to-do list!

Pat Hatt said...

haha people can do much with lego indeed. i know 4 is wrong.

#1 House
#2 Army of Darkness
#3 The Thing(isn't that the 80's?)
#4 Slumber party massacre?
#5 Halloween
#6 Re-animater, i think, never watched

Kyra Lennon said...

I would LOVE to see Guillermo Del Toro do an adaptation of The Witches! I think it would be amazing!

M Pax said...

I didn't really like the 1st Thor movie, besides that he's very pretty to look at, but then I'm not a huge superhero fan. So don't take my opinion on it as valuable.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Very happy that CassaStorm is stirring up quite a storm on the bestseller lists. So far all the reviews of your book that I have read have been amazing. Have a lovely weekend Alex.

Julie Flanders said...

Oh my gosh I love that Lego haunted house. Amazing!

Headed over to GR to vote now. Have a great weekend!

Tina said...

Dagnabbit...blogger ate my long comment. Sigh.
Yes to Sia.
Yes to review when done. Reading three blogging buddies' books which all came out at the same approximate time...good thing the genres are so different or my brain would probably explode.
You know how much I love Legos...
Tina @ Life is Good

Tara Tyler said...

im ready for a hay ride too! i always recognize the lines but cant name the movies...
yay candilynn! and yay you alex! have a great wknd!

Andrew Leon said...

I have a(nother) Lego post scheduled for... some point.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

You're a master at choosing one liners, Alex. Even remembering them is beyond me. Off to visit Sia.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Laura, thanks for letting me know!

Pat, you got six. And Re-Animator is twisted.

Mary, duly noted!

Rachna, I'm thrilled they are all positive reviews. So far...

Tina, that made me laugh! No exploding brains.

Joylene, I am a fountain of useless movie data...

Unknown said...

YAY! for the new Preston/Child book! Love those things. :)

As far as blogging goes, do it because you have something to say, not because you need people to respond. And the number of comments is not the barometer of the value of what you've said btw. Some of my favorite bloggers and posts have very few followers or comments.:)

Sherry Ellis said...

That's a good clip from Thor. I'd like to see that movie! Hopping over to Sia's!

SC Author said...

Just wanted to tell you: I WATCHED GRAVITY. It was seriously one of the best movies I've ever seen. It was INCREDIBLE, and the two actors were fantastic, and the graphics were amazing, and... gosh, it was just AMAZING.

Kathe W. said...

oh goody! A new Lee Child book to read! Love that guy!

Suze said...

5 is Halloween.

As for this:

'Let me tell you, when Sia emailed me her private thoughts on CassaStorm, it was probably the most awesome thing anyone has ever said about my writing.'

Love it.

Have a super weekend, pAl.

mooderino said...

That Lego house is pretty amazing. I can manage a ray gun and that's about it (no, it's not the letter L, it's a ray gun).

mood

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

SC, knew you'd like it!

Suze, correct! And really wish I could share what she wrote, because it was just amazing.

Moody, I built a shuttle once. It wasn't very good though.

Cathrina Constantine said...

I'm definitely excited for Thor! And congrats on your books, Alex!

Kimberly said...

Wahoo - congrats on being on the best space opera list! That's awesome.

Arlee Bird said...

It was interesting to see the Haunted House site. Brought back memories of my old job in the haunt industry.

Don't guess I need to say anything about blogging since I'm saying plenty on my site already and will keep yakking a bit more about it next week. I'm trying to get to the nitty gritty of the story.

Lee
Tossing It Out

Michelle Wallace said...

I love Lego!!
And I really enjoyed the interview over at Sia's place!

Ella said...

What a great post! I am excited by all of it~ Haunted hunk goodness-did I say that?! Yes, forgive me Captain I am not myself-I have Chiggers! I am horrified... off to visit Sia~

Christine Rains said...

It's amazing what people can make with Lego. I hope my son becomes a Lego fanatic so we can spend hours building together! I'm heading over to Sia's now. Have a great weekend. :)

Cassie Mae said...

So, I commented on the previous post, but it disappeared or something weird. But I read it! And sang to JA's song and said something super profound about the page view thing. Because I'm always profound you know ;)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lee, you will be posting about it for weeks...

Ella, I'm sorry!

Christine, any excuse to play with Legos, right?

Cassie, yes, I know!

J.L. Campbell said...

Congrats on making the Space Opera best seller list.

That lego haunted house is way cool.

~Sia McKye~ said...

Thanks for the lovely interview Alex!

I watched Thor on DVD and will probably do the same for the second one but, I am looking forward to seeing it.

Good news on the SO bestseller list.

Woo-hoo for Candilynn--that's gotta feel good.

I love the lego house. Amazing.

I think the important thing is the purpose of your blog. If it's to promote there is a different approach. If it's for followers and community involvement yet another approach.

It's nice when I see a high number of visitors for a particular blog post. I do have quite a few that follow privately and only occasionally will comment. comments are important.

To be honest I write what interests me on my day (Mondays) and I've been surprised with the number views for those articles and where they come from. I've loved the comments.

I try to make the guest posts fun or informative and look good. Comments are important since comments tend to grab the attention of the search bots. You don't have to be huge to get the interest and placement but you do need the comments.

What counts most with me, as far as authors are concerned, is the number of buys their books get. I had a couple pub reps that tracked those clicks to buy--there is a gadget they asked to put on the blog and I'm happy to say there are a lot of buys. That makes me feel good. :-) It means I've done my job in promoting effectively.

I do like Brandon and Bryan's astute observation on empty calories...and yes, it counts when they stick around. :-)

Sia McKye Over Coffee

J E Oneil said...

An adaptation of The Witches. I liked that book. If they do end up pushing it through, I just hope they do it justice.

Oh no. That last one is from Reanimator. That movie was a blight in my imagination. I'm still mad at that professor for having it as part of the class.

SK Anthony said...

Fantastic interview over at Sia's :)

I'm more into the community aspect of the blogging world as well but it was really interesting to read the comments and thoughts from others.

Thor! I'm so excited to see it :D

Helena said...

Seriously, that's a Lego house? Dang, I never built anything like that with my Legos when I was a kid.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

wow, I LOVE that lego house!! It's amazing!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - it's amazing what they can do with Lego .. and I love that Halloween House ..

Blogging is community - so essential in this day and age ... as your readers say ... and which you evoke here so well.

Cheers and I'm over to Sia - Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sia, thanks again for hosting me. And it does matter the focus of your blog. Your site is the perfect hybrid of book blogger and writer. Plus what counts for you is really nice!

JE, correct, and it was one twisted film, wasn't it?

Helena, and I don't remember black and grey Legos...

Hilary and Karen, thank you!

J.L. Murphey said...

Ooh Preston Child the dynamic duo of suspense!
WTG Alex!
Anything is possible with Legos.

Stephanie said...

That Lego house is freaking amazing. My haunted house goal this year is to finally make it to Hallow-Scream at Busch Gardens, but I'm not sure if I'm going to pull it off. We'll see.

Patricia Stoltey said...

That Lego house is amazing, but don't you wonder who has the time to create something that detailed? I don't even have time to write a decent blog post each day.

Robin said...

Love that clip from Thor. Can't wait to see that movie!

I just left a comment over at Tossing It Out about blogging (again) and I see that it is still a theme here, too. Hmmmm. Are you two in this together????

What people do with things like Legos constantly surprises me.

Suze said...

I don't imagine you have much opportunity to go back to people's posts to see what they've written in response to your comments but I wanted you to have this:

'My husband said exactly what you said about the idea that a person won't read a self-pubbed book simply because it has been self-pubbed. I included it in this post in order to represent a lingering, if diminishing, stigma--and to respond to it.

Alex, you are someone who has navigated your publishing career with tremendous grace. The only thing I would change for you is your ability to fully see how much you have to offer and have already offered.'

Carrie Butler said...

On my way to visit, Sia. :) Have a great weekend!

Liz Blocker said...

Hmm... the most active blogs have honesty and humor? I think you just described part of why this particular blog is so popular :) That, and your enormous, amazing efforts to build community. Thanks, Alex.

Jo said...

Loved your interview with Sia. Also enjoyed the smack scene, that's quite something.

Your #6 comment struck me as funny, don't know where it came from of course.

Hope Cassa Storm continues to do well.

Leovi said...

Yes, I hope that visitors to my blog are not empty calories!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Stephanie, it's a lot of fun - you should go!

Patricia, I don't have the time!

Robin, no, I just took the theme in a new direction!

Suze, I appreciate that! Maybe you can change that, as I still feel like a newbie geek with a couple books.

Liz, thank you!

Jo, I almost guarantee you've never seen the film.

Leovi, not for you.

DiscConnected said...

Trivia answers...

1 - No clue

2 - Army Of Darkness

3 - John Carpenter's The Thing

4 - I remember the line but cannot recall what film...although I probably saw it.

5 - Halloween

6 - Reanimator

Chancelet said...

Congratulations Alex on making the list, twice! And I am excited by Thor. Looking forward to it, although I don't feel Natalie Portman is a good fit for the gf. Don't get me wrong, I do like Portman, just not in this role.

cleemckenzie said...

Haunted Legos! Perfect.

Loved Thor: The Dark World Love that Jane!

Congrats on being on the Best Space Opera list! That's fabulous.

I'm without email at the moment. Can receive, but can't seem to send. Working on the problem, but will have to resort to Twitter/blog comments to communicate with peeps for a while. Just when I'm trying to do a promo for Alligators! My stars will not align this year.

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

Love the Lego haunted house! What a fun creation for Halloween!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Larry, you got four right!

Lee, I'm sorry!

Elise Fallson said...

My kids love legos, I just wish they weren’t so expensive. Also, it's awesome to see your books do so well! I'm hoping to start reading your trilogy soon. (: And thanks for the Thor/Jane tease, I can't wait to see the movie when it comes out.

Amalia Dillin said...

in my humble opinion Jane's response to Thor's return gets an A++++++++++++ because that guy totally could have stopped in to check on her before disappearing back to Asgard and he just did not bother, plus she probably had worried he was dead up until the point he appeared for AVENGERS.

I'm just saying.

Anonymous said...

Cool Lego house. I'll check out the haunted house site.

I'm off to read your interview at Sia's.

Kirsten said...

I'm always amazed by what people can create with Legos. Thanks for sharing that amazing haunted house.
Love the Thor clip too. :)
Comments rule IMO. The kind of feedback that one gets from comments is better than any stats could ever be! So I'll be making my way over to Sia's place to leave mine. ;)

G. B. Miller said...

I do have one more salient comment about blogging:

Do not, under any circumstances, set up a blog as part of multi-media platform after you published a book.

Having a blog after the fact is one sure fire way for people not find out more about you. It's always better to start a blog prior to becoming published (if your main goal is to publish novels). That way you can spend a little time building a decent fan/reader base and thus get some built in word of mouth for your writing.

Can't tell you how many blogs I've stopped reading because writers set then up way after the fact and thus become nothing more that place to perpetually pimp a novel.

Cherie Colyer said...

I'm looking forward Thor. Did you see the sneak peek at the end of Ironman 3?

Congrats on CassaStorm making the best seller list.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elise, I hope you enjoy them when you do start reading.

Amalia, my wife completely agrees with you.

Kirsten, I like the way you think.

GB, that's why I'm glad I started a year before my first book.

Cherie, yes I did!

Author A.O. Peart said...

Great interview with Sia :)

I WANT that Lego haunted house!!! I'm addicted to Halloween, boo!

Carrie-Anne said...

My ex-"fiancé" and I used to build Legos all the time. He really got me into building intricate structures, though he really angered me when he took apart the dwarves' mine I spent so much time making because he wanted some pieces in it for some custom creation. He's got several secretaries at his parents' house to hold all his creations. The one Lego creation I really want to buy, if it were less expensive, is the Taj Mahal.

Unknown said...

Love that Lego house; it reminds me of the Psycho house! I can't wait to see the new Thor. I voted for your books! :-)

5. Halloween
6. Re-Animator (Love this one!)

Unknown said...

The Leggo house looks great! It is a little like the Psycho house as others have suggested.

I have a copy of CassaStorm, looking forward to reading it.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Angela, you could build one. Yeah, right!

Carrie-Anne, bummer! Bet the dwarves' mine was really cool.

Lexa, very good!

Carolyn, thank you!

Rhonda Albom said...

My teenage daughters are excited about Thor! I was more impressed by the lego house. Great comments you highlighted. Even if they didn't stick around, I would be pretty excited to get 180K+ views on a single post.

Anonymous said...

Best space opera? Yahoo! Big fan of Legos -- really enjoyed the new Star Wars section at LEGOLAND.

farawayeyes said...

I read this on Friday and then got distracted.

Horror+trivia=no clue for me.


I'll head in over to Goodreads now.

Anonymous said...

oh, man. That Thor clip?? Why, yes.

Now I have a sudden urge to get out my box of Legos...

JJ said...

I will visit Sia today. Thanks.

Liza said...

Congrats of making the Best Space Opera List! Heading to Sia now.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Milo, I'll have to visit Legoland some day.

Faraway, thanks!

Liz, if you make anything awesome, please post a photo.

Sabrina A. Fish said...

There are so many good movies coming out. Finding time to see them all is going to be the trick. Go Jane!

Shell Flower said...

That Lego haunted house is sooo cool. We passed a haunted forest on our way to the mountain yesterday, but didn't stop. It was intriguing and maybe if my son were a little younger... As for page views, they really don't mean much. My huge spike post got over 300 in one day (big for me), but sadly it was the post about my friends' son that died. Not worth the hits. But it is fun to see what random posts end up popular.

Toi Thomas said...

Soooo waiting for Thor to come out!

Good interview with Sia McKye. It makes you wan there to be more of the Cassastorm series.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Sabrina, I know!

Shell, I don't think they mean much.

Toinette, sorry, I am definitely done.

klahanie said...

I'm backtracking. Yes, my human is too tired to comment.

That haunted house would be perfect for C.Lee McKenzie.

I see you quote Keith and Keith would be correct. Keith might also realise that commenting back in some fashion to the comments on his site would be a nice added touch.

Humour and honesty and variety are excellent traits to share on a blog.

Pawsitive wishes,

Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar.

Anonymous said...

Stopped by Sia's blog to check out the interview. It was great!

I'd have never guessed that the haunted house was made from Legos. I've got 2 large bins of Legos that my son doesn't want to part with. Might have to pull them out this winter and see what we can create.

Johanna Garth said...

I'm having one of those weeks when I need some insecure writer love!! Maybe I just need a hayride.

Jeff Hargett said...

Now that I can read CassaStar, CassaFire and CassaStorm without a waiting break, I picked up all three for Kindle reading. Congrats again, Alex! And yes, definitely looking forward to Thor.

DMS said...

That Lego house- is AMAZING! Seriously! I can't get over what people can create with those things. :)

White Fire also looks very good!
~Jess

Deniz Bevan said...

That haunted house is Lego? I want it! I want it!

The Happy Whisk said...

Very cool Lego haunted house.

mooderino said...

That XMen trailer doesn't really tell me anything about the movie. I guess that's a good thing, maybe?

Elizabeth Sara said...

That is an amazing Lego creation. So much can be made with those colored blocks.